Liberators/Transcript
Gameplay Liberators Off the coast of Oran, North Africa November 8th, 1942 0915 Hours Stretch: (narrating) "Dear Brother, I hope this letter gets to you. I just got word that my squadron will be heading off for North Africa tomorrow..." (The scene fades in to show "Stretch" Roger in the chin turret of his B-24 Liberator bomber as part of a squadron heading to North Africa with orders to soften up resistance before the 1st Infantry Division lands later on to begin liberating North Africa from Rommel's Afrika Korps. As he looks around, his commanding officer, Lt. Elliot, pilot of the Liberator, relays their orders to the crew.) Elliot: "Alright, guys. Heads up. We're coming into the range of Oran. First Infantry will be landing later this morning. We're gonna clear out as much resistance as possible." (Another crew member, Lt. Schreibner, decides to ask Stretch about his brother, Roland, who is a soldier in the Big Red One.) Schreibner: "Hey, Stretch, isn't your brother in the Big Red One?" Elliot: "Stretch, get in the ball turret. We're still a ways out from our target, but yesterday's sortie got jumped by a Luftwaffe patrol." (Stretch leaves the chin turret, but as he turns around to look at Schreibner, he gives Stretch a little salute before he heads down into the underbelly of the Liberator to get to the ball turret, located just behind the bomb bay. If Stretch goes past it and approaches the rear turret, the gunner there, Cpl. Johnson, will take notice and turn to look at him.) Johnson: "Get into your turret before the Cap gets mad!" (Stretch heads back to the ball turret, opens the hatch, and climbs down into it. Once inside, he seals the hatch above him. Once it is secured, the ball turret is lowered down into it's position under the Liberator and rotated up to where Stretch is looking directly at the sky behind the Liberator, it's 6 o'clock position.) Elliot: "Stretch, remember: You're responsible for any planes lower than the nose or tail, so stay awake down there!" (Elliot's radioman, Lt. Van Buren, soon gets a transmission from the lead group, 'A' Flight, regarding a group of Messerschmitt Me-323 cargo planes ahead, flying at a lower altitude from the Liberators, having no idea of the bombers approaching them from behind and above them.) Van Buren: "'A' Flight's reporting contact, sir. Some kind of aerial convoy up ahead." Elliot: "Roger, I have them now. (To the crew and other Liberators) Look's like a chance for some target practice, boys!" (Stretch opens fire on the Me-323s, making sure to lead the target so his shots hit the big German cargo planes. Once he manages to shoot down one...) Schreibner: "Nice shooting, Stretch!" (Stretch continues to shoot down as many of the Me-323s that he can. There are 11 of them in all. Once he shoots down 9 of them...) Van Buren: "Cap! 'A' Flight's reporting some cargo ships running for shore, and they don't look like ours!" Elliot: "Understood." (The squadron leader, 'A' Flight Number 1, relays orders to Elliot's group, 'B' Flight.) Squadron Leader: "'B' Flight, descend to Angels Five. Repeat: Angels Five for a level bombing approach." (Before that can happen, the lead ship, a destroyer belonging to the Nazi Germany Navy, the Kriegsmarine, opens fire on the Liberators with anti-aircraft fire, hitting the ball turret Stretch is in.) Roberts: "We're hit! We're hit! (Checks on Stretch) You okay?!" (They attempt to retract the ball turret back into the Liberator, but the mechanism is jammed, refusing to budge.) Roberts: "It's jammed! Hold on!" (After another try, the mechanism is fixed, and the crippled ball turret retreats safely back inside the Liberator. Stretch opens the hatch and climbs back out into the plane's interior, sealing the ball turret back up since it was no longer usable.) Elliot: "Stretch! Get up here to the bomb sight and zero in those ships!" (Stretch grabs some health from one of the packs on the wall before making his way back through the bomb bay to where once below the cockpit, Van Buren directs him to where he needs to go to reach the bombardier's station in the Liberator. The bomb sight is located under the chin turret where he was originally positioned, by Lt. Schreidner. Once Stretch is in position, Elliot begins diving the Liberator to the altitude for the bombing approach.) Elliot: "'B' Flight, my plane's leading the run. Numbers 2 and 3, follow close behind." 'B' Flight Number 2: "Yes, sir." Elliot: "Okay, open bomb bay doors. 'B' Flight, moving into position." (As Elliot says this, the bomb bay doors can be heard opening for the bomb run.) Elliot: "Hang on! Things are gonna get bumpy!" Roberts: "Doors open, Captain!" Elliot: "'B' Flight, adjust your altitude and level off." (Stretch begins looking through the bomb sight as the Liberator levels off to begin their bombing run on the German ships.) Elliot: "We have moderate turbulence and a strong wind from the south-southwest. Stretch, you have the controls. You're flying this baby." (Soon, the Liberator is over the first ship, a tanker, and the bomb sight's targeting system indicator changes from red to green, signalling that the Liberator is in position and stabalized to drop its payload without problems.) Elliot: "They're in sight! Send those ships to the bottom!" (Stretch lets one bomb go, the bomb sight showing the bomb as it whistles toward its target below before disappearing from view. Shortly after, the bomb hits the tanker amidship, breaking it apart.) Elliot: "Nice hit there! I got confirmation of an enemy tanker sinking." (The Liberator soon moves under Stretch's control to target the second tanker, but as it does, the destroyer's flak begins to zero in on Stretch's Liberator.) Roberts: "Oh man, they've got us bracketed good!" (Moments later, one flak burst hits the bomb bay, damaging the bomb bay doors. Despite that, Stretch manages to drop another bomb and sink the second tanker.) Roberts: "Cap, we took a bad hit in the bomb bay! The doors are jammed! We can't close them!" Elliot: "Roger. Take it easy, Roberts! We'll be okay! (To Stretch) Bombardier! Take out that damned destroyer! That'll silence his flak!" (Stretch maneuvers the Liberator into position over the destroyer. The destroyer's bow can be seen giving off flashes of light, indicating where the anti-aircraft fire is coming from. Stretch soon lets another bomb or two go, and the destroyer is soon a smoking wreck with its flak finally silenced.) Elliot: "Ha, ha! That's one less destroyer for the Kriegsmarine! Get cozy, we're heading to a higher altitude." (The Liberator soon begins heading skyward again, until it finally levels off back around the altitude it was originally at before making the run on the German ships. However, knowing that the destroyer probably radioed in the Liberators' position to the Luftwaffe, Elliot gives new orders to Stretch.) Elliot: "Stretch, I think we can expect some company soon. Take the gunner's position in the chin." (Stretch leaves the bomb sight and returns to the chin turret. Just after he does, three enemy fighters are seen in a Delta formation just ahead and above the Liberators' position.) 'A' Flight Crew Member: "Contact! We got Kraut fighters sighted at 12 o'clock high! Count 'em, three bandits!" Elliot: "'B' Flight 1 to Squadron Command. Requesting permission to climb to Angels Three and engage." Squadron Leader: "Negative, 'B'. Request denied. They're just scouts, John." (As the scout fighters turn around and retreat, Stretch looks ahead, where the sky is soon full of...) Elliot: "Me-109s! 12 o'clock!" (The roof gunner, Cpl. Dunne, turns to look in that direction, but can't see much from his position on top of the Liberator.) Dunne: "I can't see anything! How many inbound?" Roberts: "You don't wanna know." Elliot: "Time to earn your government wages, boys! Let's teach them a thing or two about the Liberator!" (With that, the Liberators open fire on the Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters. Stretch does his best to protect his Liberator and the others by downing as many as he can, but 'A' Flight Number 1, the squadron leader, is hit and drops out of formation, flipping inverted before breaking apart into several pieces.) Roberts: "They got 'A' Flight's formation leader! Taking evasive maneuvers!" Dunne: "We could sure use some fighter support right now." (With the loss of 'A' Flight Number 1, 'A' Flight Number 2, the deputy squadron leader, moves up to take the place of their fallen leader. While it does, more Me-109s appear on the horizon.) Elliot: "Bogeys! 12 o'clock!" (Stretch manages to shoot down one before it even gets close.) Dunne: "Dammit, Stretch! That one was mine!" (More 109s appear ahead.) Roberts: "We've got some more fighters at 12 o'clock!" (Stretch nails another one.) Elliot: "Stay alert, eyes peeled." (More Me-109s appear in the distance.) Dunne: "Fighters! Coming in at twelve o'clock!" (Stretch continues to protect his and the other remaining Liberators from the Luftwaffe fighters, making sure to shoot down any 109s that manage to circle back around for another pass before they have a chance to shoot again, along with any coming in for their first pass from head-on with the bombers. Soon, the Liberators arrive over North Africa, as land can be seen below, but more 109s keep appearing on the horizon.) Dunne: "They're everywhere!" Roberts: "Did they have to send the entire Luftwaffe?!" Dunne: "We've got some more Me-109s coming in at twelve o'clock!" (Soon, the fighters begin to dwindle, but a panicked cry comes over the radio from Johnson, the rear gunner, as a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter ace closes in on the Liberator from its 6 o'clock.) Johnson: "Fighter on our tail! He's coming in too fast! I can't hit him! I can't--''(voice cuts out over sound of machine gun fire impacting the plane)" '''Dunne:' "Johnson!" Elliot: "Who's hit?! Van? Van! (No response as Van Buren's dead) How's the tail? Johnson, what's your status? (No reply) Dammit! (To Stretch) Stretch, get back to the tail gun and take out that damn ace!" (Stretch leaves the chin turret to head to the tail turret, as he does, he looks up into the cockpit to see both co-pilot Lt. Roberts and radioman Lt. Van Buren dead, casualties of the Liberators being without fighter support against the 190 ace and the 109s. As he reaches the tail turret, he sees Johnson look up at him before succumbing to his wounds and dying. Taking his place, Stretch targets the 190 and soon has the ace plummeting out of the sky in a ball of fire. If he misses hitting the ace on his first pass, the 190 will circle back around for another, leaving him wide open to finish off.) Elliot: (Once the 190 ace is eliminated) "Nice shooting! (To 'B' Flight) We're down, but we're not out. Everyone, stay in box formation. Take out those sons of bitches!" (Stretch chooses to defend the Liberator from the tail or chin turret. After a while, American P-38 fighters arrive to protect the remaining Liberators and chase off the Luftwaffe.) Elliot: "Alright! P-38s! Stretch, watch your fire! Make sure not to hit those friendly twin tails! (Stretch accidentally shoots one of the other Liberators or a P-38 fighter.) Dunne: "Hey, watch it, Stretch! That's one of ours!" (Stretch accidentally fires on a friendly again.) Dunne: "Stretch! Watch where you're shooting!" (After some time with the P-38s helping shoot down the Luftwaffe fighters, the Liberators are soon taking anti-aircraft fire again from the ground.) Elliot: (To 'B' Flight) Pilots, we have Ack-Ack ahead! Do not take any evasive maneuvers! Repeat: Do not take any evasive maneuvers! Stay on target!" Schreibner: "Let's hope those flak crews are as new as our bombardier!" (Stretch moves back to re-man the bomb sight. Once he does, the targets: Oil storage tanks and the factory, come into view.) Elliot: "You have the controls, Stretch. Make it count!" (Stretch lets a bomb go on the first target.) Elliot: "Bomb's away!" (After destroying the first two oil tank targets, Stretch moves the Liberator into position over the main target: The factory.) Elliot: "Okay, Stretch, we're over our main target. Do me a favor: Don't miss!" (Stretch drops the ordnance.) Elliot: "Bombs away!" (Flashes of anti-aircraft fire appear on the ground.) Elliot: "Flak! Brace yourselves!" (Stretch is on target with the factory as the bombs reduce the factory to a flaming mess.) Schreibner: "Solid hit! The target's burning!" (One flak burst grazes the Liberator.) Elliot: "Hold on!" 'A' Flight Number 2: "'A' Flight Number 2, in lead, calling 'B' Flight Number 1. Are you okay? Over." Elliot: (To 'A' Flight Number 2) "I've lost my co-pilot, but maintaining heading." (Stretch finishes off the oil tanks. If he was very accurate with the bombs, the Liberator may still have a couple left afterwards.) 'A' Flight Number 2: "Not bad, 'B' Flight! Not bad!" Elliot: "We're heading home! (To Schreibner) Richie, radio HQ and report mission accomplished." Schreibner: "Roger." Elliot: "And report three casualties." Schreibner: "Yes, sir." (The following is only said if the player was accurate with the bombs, including destroying the factory, their primary target.) Schreibner: "That was some magnificent bombing, Stretch! I've never seen anything like it!" Dunne: "He just got lucky, didn't you, Stretch? Well, don't let it go to your head!" Elliot: "Stretch, I have to congratulate you for today. You did an incredible job. I'm going to see that you're put up for a medal. You deserve it." Stretch: "Man, I'm going to have to write home about this." (The Liberators turn to head home for repairs, refueling, and medical treatment for the wounded, along with having the killed sent home to the USA for burial by their families.) (End of level)